HELENA — The city of Helena was hit hard by Saturday’s storm. Storms have uprooted trees and damaged homes, but some people are still working to clean up and repair them.
“I spent maybe four hours yesterday and a few hours today, and I only have a few left,” said Home resident Travis Alquist.
This is how long it took Almquist to remove a fallen tree in his yard on Saturday.
“My neighbor texted me, sent me a picture and said the tree had fallen down. So I asked if the tree was in the street or blocking something and they said no. I came back on Sunday,” said Alquist.
The city said at least 10 city trees were blown down by the wind, but many more fell on private and county property. The wind knocked down trees from Carroll College to Forestvale Cemetery.
Almquist told MTN that neighbors and friends were a big help.
“I had a friend who, uh, helped me out on Saturday and we were chopping things up. And uh, one of the other neighbors happened to walk by and knocked us over for a few hours.” It helped me, and my other neighbor, uh, is still helping me today, so that helps a lot,” Alquist said.
There is also concern about broken or hanging branches from trees that can still topple over under the weight of the snow.
City crews have worked to ensure public safety first and foremost.
“I’ve heard that many of them have gone bankrupt. Everyone I’ve spoken to knows there were a lot of people who helped, and that’s great,” Alquist said.
If a city tree is damaged, residents can call 406-447-8426 and leave a message if no one answers. You can also submit your request using the MyHelena app. Privately owned trees must be cleared and trimmed by the owner.
